“The Future Is Uncertain” Port Talbot Blast Furnace Closures And Job Losses “Devastating”

This week questions will be raised in Parliament over the social impact of closing the Port Talbot steelworkers. It comes after 1,500 workers voted in favour of strikes in protest at planned job losses at Tata. Unite is fighting Tata’s plans to shut down blast furnaces and replace them with more environmentally friendly electric arc furnaces. The union said it will be the first time in more than 40 years that Port Talbot steelworkers go on strike. Unite said Tata has other choices after the union secured a commitment from Labour that it will invest £3 billion in UK steel, compared with the £500 million pledged by the current Government. A Tata Steel spokesperson said: “Following the announcement in January of the company’s plans to invest £1.25 billion and to restructure the UK business, we started a formal information-sharing and consultation process with our trades union colleagues, which continues in an open, collaborative and constructive fashion. “On March 22, we put forward a significantly enhanced, comprehensive package of support for employees impacted by the proposed transformation. “We are naturally disappointed that while consultation continues, Unite members at Port Talbot and Llanwern have indicated that they would be prepared to take industrial action up to and including strike action if an agreement cannot be reached on a way forward for the business and its employees. “We have written to Unite twice during the ballot process to notify them of significant irregularities in the ballot process they have undertaken.” TalkToday’s Nick Ellerby speaks to Ben Cottam, the head of Wales at the Federation of Small Businesses who explains the impact of planned closures. Click here for more from TalkTV https://talk.tv If you need any help visit: https://talk.tv/helplines #steel #porttalbot #wales